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Down to The Wire: Red Sox Ousted by Jays

noreply@blogger.com (Ira H. Perkins IV) — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 03:47:00 +0000

By: Ira H. Perkins IV

The Final:

Well Sox fans there really isn't much there in tonight's match-up with the Jays to hang your heads about. Always the optimist; "The Curse" has been busted up and brushed away for years now. The box score showed a single run deficit at the end and there are things that worked well for the club and others that need fine tuning. Lets discuss.

Pitching:

What's Hot: Clay started tonight after the Red Sox had two days of the regular season off. The point? He threw quality innings and Lackey was pushed back. Five innings of scoreless ball for Clay working himself out of jams a few times in those innings. The bullpen worked a number of pitchers into the game that recorded key outs.

What's Not: Bases on balls were an issue. The cold weather made it a challenge to work secondary pitches for strike outs in pitchers counts. Of the bullpen performances Jenks lacked all command of the strike zone which is uncharacteristic and unfortunate in regard to it costing the club four key runs. If you scratch that inning from the score card we win but you cannot.

Offense:

What's Hot: The third inning quickly became electric when Pedroia hit a long ball, Gonzalez drew a walk and Youkilis went yard, in that order. The pseudo-rally in the eighth gave hope for all by making it a winnable game going into the ninth. Sparked by back to back walks by Youkilis and Ortiz and taken up a notch by a solid pinch hit single by Lowery. Scutaro would double that next at bat proving good things do come in bunches.

What's Not: Hit less innings in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings was most bothersome. The tale of this season's tape; LOB or left on base which tonight totaled a half dozen. This will stop when the bats start to work in succession. The clincher was the one, two, three hitters going down in row starting the ninth while trailing by a single run.

Defense:

What's Hot: Most of the position players and consistently at that. Ellsbury's ability to run down everything that funnels towards that deep center field.

What's Not: Scutaro's tendency to be out of position on singles hit to the left portion of the infield and yes I understand he is usually trying to get lead runners at second in those instances. My point... play the ball, record the out and move on. Crawford seems to be struggling playing balls off "The Monster" and that is leading to extra bags every time Ellsbury is not there to back him up.

Fenway Park:

What's Hot: "The Faithfuls" out in droves late into the evening on a game that looked out of reach until the eighth inning

What's Not: The seasonably cold weather effecting, in my opinion, the quality of ball games.

Here's the bottom line from where I'm standing... two wins or ten wins we are only a few short series into a long season and we have the tools to put a winning season in place and be in the hunt for October. Last I checked we only lost ground the Rays tonight as well with all other AL East teams dropping games too.

Matsuzaka Suffers Tough Loss

noreply@blogger.com (Ira H. Perkins IV) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 02:42:00 +0000

By: Ira H. Perkins IV

I would first like to thank The Boston Globe for compiling and publishing a list of regional NESN Plus broadcasts for most areas within New England. They made it possible for me to find and sit through what I thought was a good game in the first five innings of baseball. Which brings me to the point of my post game report. Matsuzaka threw a solid game tonight.

His performance through the first two innings were shaky. He allowed three runs in that period but would serve up "goose eggs" for the next three. I have been critical of this big league pitcher since his post WBC collapse. For right now I will give him some much deserved credit even though he took tonight's loss.

The one thing Matsuzaka did extremely well tonight after settling down was just that. He settled down. I thought he was getting squeezed to some extent and that cost the club some strike outs. When he allowed himself the ability to challenge hitters he was effective. His velocity was not there which suggested to me he located his pitches at spots. It was a close portrait to the Matsuzaka that I grew to appreciate when he first arrived from Japan.

It was a one run differential when he was pulled and could have easily been that first win Red Sox Nation is so eagerly anticipating. Tonight's relief performance by Dennys Reyes made me madder than a hornet. Those who saw him walk a batter and hit another also saw him walk the number nine hitter who was simply attempting to move the runners over with a bunt. The potential for that out was not even conceived. That folks resulted in a bases-loaded situation.

Did it help that Dan Wheeler gave up a big home run? Not in the slightest but that accounted for one run charged to him. The other three belonged to Reyes. Notably, had those runs not gone onto the score card it would have been our game to lose after Gonzalez hit a two run shot. Which would have come down to a nail-biting ending given the long ball given up by "Wake" potentially knotting things up.

I agree and noticed early on that batters left on base was an issue in this game and would have been "the" issue had it not been for a poor outing early into relief. So it goes there are still a number of issues that need to be hammered out. With one game left with "The Tribe" before the home opener maybe just maybe we can see things fire in succession and pick up a game.

Discouraging Losses For The Red Sox

noreply@blogger.com (Ira H. Perkins IV) — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 02:04:00 +0000

By: Ira H. Perkins IV

CRAWFORD AND GONZALEZ: Pressure is pushing down as the Red Sox drop the first four games of the 2011 season. Unlikely, given the buzz created in the off-season by the offensively potent acquisitions of Crawford and Gonzalez. To talk down about them at this point would be jumping the gun but to be entirely disappointed by their inability to make some kind of noise within these four played seems fair. For the sake of the club and the fans that surround them I sincerely hope these two can get something started for their Red Sox careers soon. There are two more games to be played against "The Tribe" and then it's time to "Ship up to Boston" for the season's home-opener against the hated and fierce New York Yankees who are playing ball early. Of course, even if they remain quiet until the home stand and are able to produce and maybe even come to a boil it could be good things going forward. I certainly will not count that out at this juncture for the fact that Crawford and Gonzalez are big game players and once the stage is set for a battle in Boston against New York they might "remember" why they make the big bucks. I admit to my frustration about these guys early but they are high among big league players and yes, that sometimes is coupled with unrealistic expectations. They have a huge opportunity though that should play to their hands. They are in and among a laundry list of all-stars!

SCRATCH MY BACK AND I'LL SCRATCH YOURS: Quality pitching and run manufacturing would always feed the other in a perfect world. It doesn't always work that way. Pitching hasn't been terrible. The starters have been shaky but the bullpen has been extraordinary with the exception of Bard's outing in the first game against the Rangers. I've been keeping book this season and I've been marking down a good deal of hit less innings. At this point I believe that even if more batters were reaching the hitting is so poor that the number of batters left on base would make most ill. Bats do come around but sometimes the bats are just there and right now they aren't. One thing that might surge towards breaking out of this slump would be better "early on" starts. That's a hard statement not to falter from but I think a few more early scoreless innings might give the batters an Arie of confidence.

SHOUT OUTS: We're losing games but in every loss a team takes... there are some achievements made on the field! Here is a list of my favorites...

Ellsbury's first stolen base of the season

Pedroia's exceptional come back from injury (defensively and offensively)

Ortiz's first homer of the season

The bullpen production of Bard, Albers and Jenks

Youkilis's ability to work the count and get on base

Drew using the entire ball park for extra bases

"Salty's" first hit producing an RBI

2011 Red Sox: The Team to Beat?

noreply@blogger.com (Rani Smith) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 20:05:00 +0000

By Rani Smith

True, the MLB season has yet to begin and speculation early on usually doesn't amount to much. However, in short--yes. Based on offseason transactions, the Boston Red Sox are shaping up to be the dream team of 2011.

The Red Sox and New York Yankees have notoriously been the top 2 teams for the last ten years, despite the Tampa Bay Rays surge in recent years. Both teams have also had the top highest budgets in all of Major League Baseball. While the Steinbrenner/Cashman duo was known for making blockbuster deals at whatever cost, Red Sox GM Theo Epstein was somewhat conservative, not taking part in the A-Rod or Mark Teixeira deals after the price got too high. This year, Epstein took a page out of the Yankees book and became less frugal, signing Carl Crawford to a seven-year, $142 million deal, and will drop big bucks on high profile first baseman Adrian Gonzalez once an agreement is reached. However, as they say, it takes money to make money. The Sox definitely spent some money this offseason, but got top quality players, who will be vital during a World Series run.

Last season, Crawford batted an impressive .307, which ranked 16th in all of Major League Baseball. Gonzalez was not too far behind, ranking 26th with a .298 batting average. This is even more impressive given Gonzalez had suffered shoulder pain through most of the 2010 season. Additionally, Crawford ranked 2nd in the league with 13 triples, 7th with 110 runs scored, 11th with 184 hits, and possibly most importantly 4th with 47 stolen bases and was only caught 10 times.

Although these new players will most definitely bring the offense, pitching has also been a concern for Sox fans, specifically bullpen help. Epstein heard the fans plea and signed RHP Bobby Jenks to a 2-year, $12 million deal. Although Jenks may be known best for being in the news for his attitude, a good friend of Josh Beckett, Jenks will fit in well in Boston--despite taking over the closer roll after Jonathan Papelbon's struggles last season. The 2-time All-Star had some arm problems with the White Sox, but still managed to rank 8th among AL closers with 27 saves. Jenks also had a 86.9% save conversion rate.

Lastly, Red Sox fielding has been a concern for years, with only one or two Sox stars shining on the field at a time. However, with Gonzalez comes his two Gold Gloves. Gonzalez also ranked 10th with a .995 fielding percentage last season.

Lets not forget the other members of the Red Sox. Epstein resigned Jason Varitek, picked up David Ortiz's $12.5 million team option, resigned Hideki Okajima, Jonathan Papelbon and Jacoby Ellsbury to $1.75 million, $12 million and $2.4 million deals, respectively. The Red Sox have a nice blend of batting, pitching and fielding this season which will cover all the bases that make a productive team. Ortiz ranked 10th in the league with 32 home runs all while adjusting his swing. Ellsbury started the season off strong, but was hindered by injury. Also back off injury is Jed Lowrie, who will be a vital back up in the Red Sox line-up, especially since the team was plagued by injury last season. Barring injuries, the revitalized team will give others a run for their money.

Although the Red Sox lost Mike Lowell, Victor Martinez and Adrian Beltre, they have signed some younger, equally strong players to fill the gaps in their roster. The Sox have definitely lost some power in their line-up, but nothing that 3-time All-Star Gonzalez can't handle. The team also lost a Gold-Glover in Lowell at 3rd, however, Crawford has a Gold Glove of his own, as well as speed and a big bat. With veterans like Varitek, players back from injury like Ellsbury and newcomers like Crawford and Gonzalez, the 2011 Red Sox are poised to be the most well-rounded team in all of Major League Baseball. And lets not forget the best move of the offseason, Cliff Lee signing with the Phillies...(and not with the Yankees). Happy baseball season!

-statistics from ESPN.com. No copyright infringement intended.

Papelbon's gamble

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Hackett) — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 13:37:00 +0000

by Christopher Hackett
Twitter: Christopher Hackett @ MrHackTastic

Jonathon Papelbon's public pursuit of testing the free agent market has been known for years. Papelbon was content to let the arbitration system take care of him while waiting for his mega pay day and setting a new standard for the way closing pitchers are paid.

Then came 2010. Papelbon's season long struggles were well documented. People now question whether he should even be the closer this year and I have heard many a fan already making bold predictions about Bard or Jenks assuming the role by year's end. If Papelbon struggles again the clamoring will certainly get louder. The story here isn't just Papelbon's struggles but really that long-term contracts for closers as a whole have proven to be bad investments.

Papelbon has seen his WHIP rise three straight years. He has had more and more trouble finishing hitters who have had too many looks at him. His walks continue to rise and he no longer has that aura of invincibility that once ended 9th innings seemingly before they started. Not many people believe the Red Sox will even make an attempt to sign him for big dollars as a closer for extended years.

While Papelbon could still get a 4 or 5 year big deal as a closer and possibly even as much as $60 million. He will certainly have a good shot at passing the Mets signing K-Rod for 3 years at $37 million. But when you consider what you could get out of Papelbon potentially if you put him in the rotation you have to wonder what he would be worth.

Papelbon's pitching arsenal is perfectly tailored to be a starting pitcher. He has the power fastball, the big frame, bulldog mentality, good slider, and a devastating splitter when he has faith in it. As a closing pitcher he rarely gets to use the excellent secondary pitches he really does have. It is hard to get a feel for your slider or splitter when you are always in the 9th inning of a tight game. When in doubt he relies on his fastball and you can understand why. If he was a starter he would look like a completely different guy. His fastball would lose a little velocity but his other pitches would finally be utilized allowing him to actually pitch and not just try to overpower.

I just can't shake the idea that he could have been coming up on a $100 million contract if he had gone into the rotation and been an even bigger star in baseball's greatest city. I am thankful for Papelbon's time here but I think in the end he lost his gamble. He was a bold young man declaring himself as the next to carry the torch for all closer's and to some small degree I guess he might. But when he essentially leaves as much as $50 million on the table you'll have to wonder if he still thinks it was worth it.

100 Win prediction not to be taken lightly

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Hackett) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 22:12:00 +0000

by Christopher Hackett

I really believe that the 100 win goal didn't start with Josh Beckett. This team is expensive, talented, and young in the right positions. It has also been 4 years since we tasted the World Series and watching the Yankees and Rays each play in the October classic since could not have been easy for the players.

This team has the right feel about it. Everywhere you look our best players have something to prove. Just look at the starting rotation.

Lester is trying to really separate himself from the pack and show his number 1 starter dominance. Buchholz needs to prove last year was no fluke. Dice K and Beckett need to prove they are healthy and worth the money. Lackey needs to prove he can handle the pressure of pitching in Boston.

It continues when you look at the line-up. Is Saltalamacchia ready to be a starting catcher? Did Gonzalez recover from shoulder surgery? How is Pedroia's foot? Is Lowrie ready to take over at shortstop? How will the full-time move back to third effect Youkilis? Can Ellsbury put last year behind him? Will Crawford benefit from playing in a major market with die hard fans? How much does Ortiz have left?

Like last year's club I see lots of questions. Unlike last years clubs I anticipate we will like the answers when it is all said and done. I think the line-up looks more dangerous and should have better situational hitting. I think the bullpen looks much stronger with the addition of Bobby Jenks, a seasoned Bard, and Papelbon in a contract year. I really believe that people have forgotten just how good our starting rotation should be if all are healthy.

I think this club collectively knows how good it can be and we will see more unity than in years past. This season should be similar to the 04 team that really rallied around each other at times of pressure. What better way to make a statement than to finally give Boston a 100 win season and decisive division championship?

I don't think Beckett was just speaking his mind. I think this entire team is buying into something bigger this year. There are no excuses this year. Management did it's job and signed everybody we needed and plugged every area of weakness. From a distance you can see the difference already.

After 2 World Series wins in 4 years I think the fan base became a little content and satisfied. Nothing is more beautiful than that uptight pessimistic tension that lives in the hearts of New Englander's rooting for the Red Sox. I think it was missing lately and the players felt it. Management felt it. The feeling is back. People are anxious. The tension is already there. Will this year be the year? The 100 win prediction is not to be taken lightly as it embodies and more importantly acknowledges the sense of urgency to win in Boston again.

Sox signing of Aceves a good move

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Drew) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 21:20:00 +0000

By Jay Drew

The Red Sox made a potentially key pick up yesterday with the signing of Alfredo Aceves. The deal which is reported somewhere between $650,000- $750,000 is a low risk, high reward deal if Aceves performs as he has in the past.

The former Yankee held his opponents to a .219 batting average in 2009 but has recently been plauged by injuries. While he spent most of 2010 with back issues and only played 10 games, he has a lifetime record of 14-1. This was another great pick up for the bullpen and goes to show that the Red Sox are not afraid to continue to look for talent after the two monster signings earlier this winter.

Report: Red Sox discussed trading of Papelbon

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Hannable) — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 00:50:00 +0000

By Ryan Hannable

Numerous media outlets today reported that the Red Sox had highly considered trading closer Jonathan Papelbon this past off season. Two of the teams that the Red Sox were interested in dealing Papelbon to were the A's and the White Sox. The Red Sox were reportedly interested in signing former Rays closer Rafael Soriano. Soriano signed with the Yankees on Jan. 13 and just this week the Red Sox and Papelbon avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one year $12 million deal.

It is pretty obvious that the Red Sox and Papelbon will definitely be parting ways, if not during the season, but definitely following the 2011 season. The team feels that set up man Daniel Bard is their closer of the future, but currently he is not ready to be the full time closer. He needs another year of experience. The signing of Bobby Jenks gives the team flexibility with Papelbon. I firmly believe the Red Sox will be trying to shop Papelbon during the season, and especially at the trade deadline. Having Jenks on the roster enables them to do this because now Bard would not be forced into the full time closing position. Papelbon's days in Boston are numbered, and fans should get used to seeing Bard as Boston's closer.

Check back for more Red Sox updates until Spring Training, then I will be posting more frequently. Any questions feel free to contact me at ryanhannable@yahoo.com. Follow me on twitter at Hannable84.

Theo's season of spending

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Hannable) — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 22:33:00 +0000

By Ryan Hannable

In Theo Epstein's time of general manager of the Boston Red Sox there have been instances where he has been criticized for not going as hard after a big name free agent or a valued player at the trading deadline as some fans may have liked. This offseason has been the complete opposite. Epstein has made probably the two biggest deals of the off-season in all of baseball and has put the Red Sox as one of the favorites to win the World Series in 2011.

Theo got the ball rolling on December 6 making a blockbuster deal for coveted San Diego Padre first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. Gonzalez has been on the radar for the Red Sox for the past two years. They have gone after him at the past two trade deadlines, but the what the Padres have asked for exceeded what the Red Sox were willing to give. Finally, this off-season they came to an agreement. The Red Sox sent minor league prospects Casey Kelly, Anthony Rizzo, and Reymond Fuentes as well as major league Eric Patterson to the Padres in exchange for Gonzalez. Previously the Red Sox were hesitant to give up Kelly, a pitcher who was one of the top prospects in the Red Sox minor league system.

Epstein then went under the radar to snag one of the most coveted free agents of the 2010 off-season in outfielder Carl Crawford. It was rumored that he was close to be headed to Los Angeles and be a member of the Angels, but then around midnight on December 10 Crawford and the Red Sox agreed to a seven year, $142 million deal sending the star outfielder to Boston. Not many people saw this one coming as it was thought that Crawford had narrowed down his search to only a few teams, with the Red Sox not being one of them.

An area of concern going into 2011 was the strength of the bullpen and Epstein has done everything in his power to bolster the bullpen. Already signed for 2011 were closer Jonathan Papelbon, set up man Daniel Bard and long-time starter, now turned member of the bullpen Tim Wakefield. The Red Sox signed middle reliever Dan Wheeler from Tampa Bay, who was very successful with the Rays. In the middle relief area they also resigned Hideki Okajima to a one year deal. With the uncertainty of Papelbon as closer the Sox signed former White Sox closer Bobby Jenks. Although it is expected Papelbon will be the closer, Jenks was brought on as an insurance policy in case of something unforeseen happens. Jenks and Bard will most likely share the set up position. Epstein turned an area of concern into a strength.

In seasons where the Red Sox struggled fans were quickly to place the blame on Epstein, saying he didn't do everything he could have to make the team succeed. While in a way they may have had a point, there is no blame this coming season. Epstein has quite arguably his best off-season as GM and has put the team in a great position for the 2011 season. If for some reason the 2011 struggle, don't blame Epstein, it definitely is not warranted.

Check back again next week for another column on the 2011 Red Sox. Feel free to email me at ryanhannable@yahoo.com with any comments and suggestions for the blog. Follow me on twitter at Hannable84.

Red Sox Rumors

noreply@blogger.com (topofstep) — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 19:16:00 +0000

Of course the big Red Sox Trade Rumor of the last few years has come true as the Red Sox finally locked up Adrian Gonzalez, but that doesn't mean there aren't more great Red Sox rumors out there.

Red Sox Rumor Rundown:

The Red Sox are reportedly interested in lefty reliever Brian Fuentes who was traded from the Angels to the Twins in 2010 after Twins All Star closer Joe Nathan was shelved for the season. Fuentes made $9,000,000 in 2010 and an ERA of 2.81 and a WHIP of 1.06 while saving 24 games and blowing 4. In just 2009 Brian Fuentes had a career year saving 48 games but that might have had more to do with who he was playing for as his ERA was 3.93. In an average year it would seem you could expect a mid 3 ERA from Fuentes and 30 plus saves.

Another Red Sox rumor has them interested in former Red Sox reliever Ron Mahay who pitched for the Red Sox in 1997 and 1998 after being drafted by us in the 18th round in 2001. Mahay pitched in 2010 for the Twins for $4,000,000 and appeared in 41 games putting up an ERA of 3.44 and a WHIP of 1.21. He had 1 win and 1 loss in 2010 and no saves with 1 hold. At 39 years old you have to wonder how much gas he has left in the tank.

More Red Sox rumors have them interested in Koji Uehara of the Orioles. For the services of the lefty Uehara they are reportedly battling the Brewers, Twins, Mariners, and Cardinals. One would suspect the stiffest competition for Uehara to come from the Brewers and Mariners as the Mariners are a good fit likely for the Japaneese born pitcher and the Brewers need any arm they can get. The 35 year old Uehara had a nice season for the Orioles in a relief role putting up a WHIP of .95 and ERA of 2.86 saving 13 games while holding 6 and blowing 2.

As mention the big Red Sox Trade Rumor for Adrian Gonzalez got done, one of the main reasons why it was a rumor for so long and got done is maybe because what is now rumored that Gonzalez has wanted to play for our Red Sox for a long time.

The rumor out of the Carl Crawford camp is that it might take a long time to get a deal done, so make sure to check back for all the latest Crawford to Red Sox rumors. In our opinion this is the best rumor that could become reality, we just love Crawford and think he could be a fixture in Boston for years.

If you have any thoughts about these or more Red Sox rumors we missed leave them below.

Weekly caption contest celebrates Nolan Ryan, George Bush and the Texas Rangers

noreply@blogger.com (Sports Chump) — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 16:29:00 +0000

http://sportschump.net/2010/10/20/weekly-caption-contest-celebrates-nolan-ryan-george-bush-and-the-texas-rangers/4763/

Chumpservations, Vol. 17: Aroldis Chapman, Troy Polamalu, Yankees-Rays and the persecution of Roger Clemens

noreply@blogger.com (Sports Chump) — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 16:07:00 +0000

http://sportschump.net/2010/09/16/chumpservations-vol-17-aroldis-chapman-troy-polamalu-yankees-rays-and-the-persecution-of-roger-clemens/4467/

A Tribute to the Boss, George Steinbrenner

noreply@blogger.com (Sports Chump) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:15:00 +0000

http://sportschump.net/2009/04/28/a-tribute-to-the-boss/120/

Injury Cannot Slow The Sox

noreply@blogger.com (Ira H. Perkins IV) — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 18:21:00 +0000

By: Ira H. Perkins IV

My prediction for the month of June held up, that was a good thing. If you haven't read my posts shame on you but what I have said in old posts is that the Sox were in a good position to gain momentum. Now just a short way after the mid-way point of the 2010 season we stand in second position of the division alone with a winning record of 49-32 numbers indentical to that of the last three seasons. The only difference is that the Sox led the division at this point during those years. Even still second isn't a bad vantage point ecspecially when you are only a sinlge game out of first. The Yankees currently hold that position. Although I couldn't be anymore happy with the outcome of my affirmentioned prediction one thing I never could have forecasted is the ammount of injury that June would harbor. Seriously, who really could have done that?

Injury certainly has been rampant yet not plaguing. Jacoby Ellsbury, Mike Cameron, Dustin Pedroia, Victor Martinez, Dice-K Matsusaka, Josh Beckett, Clay Buckholz are all victims of injury in or around the month of June. One thing I would be happy to note but disappointed to except about the injury that we've seen so far this season no matter how minor they may have been there continues to be rehabilitation set backs. Pedroia, Varitek and Ellsbury are all battling broken bones and only time and maybe surgeries can be a good indicator of when these ballplayers can play again. On a positive note the minor league call-ups Tito has exercised have made imprints on this season and our quest to sit a top of the division as our high impact players slowly trickle back onto the field.

To make a point Daniel Nava has been paramount and looks like he should be asked to stick around with what he's shown he can do including a grand slam and a walk-off base hit just to name some big ones. Tito himself has been noted on Nava's ability to hit at the big league level. To some extent even guys like Bill Hall and Darnell Mcdonald along with others have stepped in and have done so admirably. They have maintained a level of professionalism that has helped David Ortiz, Adrian Beltre, J.D. Drew and Kevin Youkilis stay focused on their game and really and I mean really produce. Something else with this current Sox roster that cannot be denied is exceptional pitching from the starting rotation and the bullpen.

Tim Wakefield has been put in the bullpen and reactivated as a starter showing that the grizzled veteran is the total team player and has his big league stuff working to his advantage. Jon Lester has been nothing less than brilliant through most of the first half of the season. To make sure everyone gets credit the bullpen has been one of the best I have ever seen put together by the Sox organization with strong outings coming from Manny Delcarmen, Daniel Bard, Ramon Ramirez, and Hideki Okajima. I also firmly believe that we have the most capable closer in the game in Johnathan Papelbon on any given night.

Taking into account of what I've stated above I have to continue by saying that if ever there is a big league club that can invent ways to win it solely belongs to the Sox with how they develop, maintain and exercise use of their minor league system. So nice work guys all the way around, you make a Sox fan pleased day in and day out. If I could have one wish it's that these players get the right amount of rest during the All-Star break and we see some guys come back with the same mentality that has helped them out to this point.

I'd be remiss if I didn't congratulate the six guys representing the Sox in the All-Star Game. Way to go Adrian Beltre, Mike Cameron, David Ortiz, Victor Martinez and Clay Buckholz and Jon Lester for their first All-Star bid. Finally, I will be overjoyed if Kevin Youkilis gets that late bid. The All-Star break is a time to forget about division rivalry, games out of first and stats. It's a time to celebrate baseball as an All-American game and unit under MLB.

Happy Independence Day to all...

Silver Lining in AL East for Sox

noreply@blogger.com (Ira H. Perkins IV) — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 15:51:00 +0000

By: Ira H. Perkins IV

Is June going to be the month to gain momentum or lose control? As it stands for now the Sox are in a good position to have a look at the driver's seat within the division.

For the month of June there have been five Red Sox games and of those five we've taken four for wins. In recent days New York and Tampa Bay have dropped back to back games.

Boston appears to be firing on all cylinders leaving us 3.5 games out of the lead at the start of today and 1.5 games out of second behind New York.

Today has potential to reduce those deficets even more. We have one more game with Baltimore who is 21 games out of it and whose bullpen is extremely banged up.

New York has a game left against the formidable Toronto team (same record as Boston) and Tampa Bay has been struggling within their series against Texas.

Now that we are somewhere around 1/3 of the way done with the regular season Boston is making a statement that they are no dark horse while it appears the only two teams ahead of us seem to be fighting their way from the ropes.

QUICK POINTS CONCERNING THE SOX:

Exceptional Flexibility: Youkilis being able to play third base and Martinez's ability to play first base allows the Red Sox to exercise Youkilis, Martinez, Varitek and Ortiz in the starting line-up and gives some extra options during interleague play.

Minor League Call-Up Strength: Reddick who made another major league start against Baltimore on the 5th spurred a seven run flurry with a well hit triple down the left field line in the 8th inning. He's one of a small handful of minor leaguers who can produce on a given night.

Ace By Committee: Lester stepped right up and hasn't looked back. He has now assumed the role of ace for the sox. during last nights match-up pitching coach John Farrel said, "He leads by example... setting the tone by what he does on the mound." Jerry Remy was quoted as saying, "He's really pounding the strike zone." during last nights matchup.

Bullpen Strength: Papelbon... Okajima... Ramirez... Delcarmen... Bard... and now Wakefield These names don't excite hitters; in other words these guys aren't meat!

TEMPORARY DOWNSIDES FOR THE SOX:

Injuries: Ellsbury has had a lengthy disabled status which keeps Boston from getting into scoring position early on in games and Beckett is a guy you'd like to have in the starting rotation for key pitching match-ups.

Tougher Schedule Looming: Directly after the Blatimore series we'll face-off with Cleveland for four games and then back to interleague play with three games against Philly.

If June is the month for momentum and the strengths show through more than the downsides then it very well may be a sweet ending to the month as stock on first place rises in the AL East when we matchup against Tampa Bay on the 29th and 30th.

Caveat Emptor...

noreply@blogger.com (James) — Thu, 13 May 2010 00:16:00 +0000

May 12, 2010

by James Wheeler

I was wrong. My first two posts were full of foolish unjustified optimism. It was a new year and baseball was back. The Red Sox were going to win because that’s what Red Sox teams have done since Francona took over in 2004. I realize now that I was blinded by the Yawkey Way propaganda machine and its emphasis on pitching and defense. It’s apparent after watching the Red Sox participate in a 13-12 game with Toronto, get swept by the Orioles, and demolished by the Yankees over this last weekend, that it was all Epstein spin. For a team whose strength was going to be pitching and defense, they find themselves in such elite run prevention company as the Diamondbacks, Pirates and Angels, having allowed 188 runs. The one thing the Red Sox haven’t had to worry about is scoring run. Only the Rays, Yankees and Brewers have scored more runs than the Red Sox in 2010. Unfortunately, as I stated in an early post, it only takes one run and they’ve allowed 8 more than they’ve scored and have fourth place and 4.5 games back to show for it.

Is all lost? The rationale (or maybe irrational) part of me is screaming that it isn’t. We’ve won a lot more this month then we’ve lost and as sloppy as this team has played it things could be a lot worse than 4.5 games back. My fear is that there are too many issues that need to be worked out to do anything this season and every game played means we’re one game closer to October. Even if they do work things out and battle their way into the wild card, is this team going to do anything in the playoffs?

Fortunately, while the Red Sox attempt to straighten the ship, I have relevant Celtics and Bruins teams to watch. Plus living in Portland, I’m able to get my baseball fix from the Sea Dogs, watching kids playing with far more emotion than J.D. Drew has ever played with.

Here’s to the Red Sox figuring it out, because if they don’t it’s going to be a long summer.

Don't Panic?

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Being Eric) — Mon, 03 May 2010 18:26:00 +0000

by Eric Being Eric

Ok...so this Red Sox team might not be living up to our expectations yet. If you're anything like me your were originally skeptical of the team Theo and co. were putting out on the field, but then suddenly we were bombarded by the sabermetricians. Pitching and defense! Balanced lineup! Have you seen the UZRs on this team? I was sold and ready for another run at the division crown (or at least the wild card). My favorite book growing up was The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and if I learned anything from that book (other than to always have a towel on hand) I learned not to panic. Baseball season is a long haul. Did you know the Yankees started last season at 15-17 and finished with 103 wins? Oh, you've heard that before...well if the evil empire can do it, so can we, right?
Here is why I'm starting to sweat a little this season: I don't doubt that the Sox will get hot and go on a run at some point. This team is too good to be this bad all season. However, we do find ourselves seven games back in a division with possibly the two best teams in all of baseball and now our boys have to play seven games better than these teams to win the AL East. I know we're told that April and May games don't matter, but if we miss the playoffs by two games won't this wretched start seem a little bit more important?
My favorite thing about baseball is that even with all the numbers it is still unpredictable. If it weren't, why would we watch (other than seeing a tremendous Youkilis beard every now and again)? I haven't given up on the season yet and neither should you, but if you feel like sweating a little that's perfectly understandable because I know I am. Good thing I always have a towel.

Winning Ugly is still Winning

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Allen) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 00:47:00 +0000

by Chris Allen.

Since being swept and completely demolished by the Tampa Bay Rays on Patriots Day weekend, the Red Sox have been playing better. Well, not really, but at least they have been winning, going 5-2 since the Rays left town. Yes, they have been playing teams that are struggling. Yes, their starting pitching has been junk. There is no doubt that the Sox are still a flawed team but a win is a win and they need to rack up as many as they can after getting off to such a putrid start. I have heard many fans shrug these wins off to the side because they are not wins against the Yanks or Rays. I love seeing the Sox beat these teams as well but the fact is all the wins count. The Sox were playing so miserably and I am glad to see the bats starting to come alive. The bats better start coming alive because the starting pitching has been horrendous. I realize Beckett and Lester are slow starters but sheesh! Look at these ERAs:
Beckett - 7.22
Lester - 6.23
Wakefield - 5.40
Lackey - 5.09
Buchholz - 2.70
Way to go Buchholz! Is it a coincidence that after I wrote in an earlier entry that Clay needed to be in the bullpen he has the lowest ERA of the starting five?
It is not just the starters. There have been at least one or two well pitched games that the bullpen has blown. And by bullpen I mean either Okajima or Ramon Ramirez both having terrible seasons. Bard and Papelbon have been solid but they will be worn out by the All Star break at their current pace. Luckily the bats have been scoring enough runs to win lately but eventually the pitching is going to have to step it up and hopefully carry the team. So for now we'll have to put up with these 13-12 games. As long as we win them I won't complain.

Varitek thriving in back-up role.

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Allen) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 00:24:00 +0000

by Chris Allen

One of the most consistent hitters for the Red Sox this year has been Jason Varitek. It is true that he is only playing once or twice a week but when he's in there he is producing. In eight games this year he hitting .357 with four homeruns and eight RBI. He still has a high strikeout total with nine but he hasn't been the black hole in the lineup that we've gotten used to the last couple of years. Sure it's early and April and May are the months that he has the highest career batting average at .278, but it is encouraging to see him off to a hot start especially with so many others in the lineup scuffling. Do you remember that year when Mirabelli was the back up and he contributed every time he was in the lineup? No, me neither.
Seriously, with Drew and Ortiz off to such slow starts we need all the help we can get even if it is only once or twice a week. Whether or not Varitek can keep it up all year is something that remains to be seen. Last year after the trade for Victor Martinez, Varitek saw a drop in playing time but still started twenty eight games over the last two months. He responded by hitting around .133 with around a million strikeouts. However this was after being the primary catcher for the first four months of the season. Let's hope he can keep contributing like this all season.

Thank You Dustin Pedroia

noreply@blogger.com (Kelan Donahue) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 18:55:00 +0000

by Kelan Donahue

Thank you, Dustin Pedroia. Thank you for your five homers and 13 RBIs. Thank you for having an on-base percentage of more than .400. Thank you for your extremely high OPS (1.159 before the series finale with the Rays) and 37 total bases. Thank you for your gritty, error-free defense. Thank you for being the only player on the team to show up in April.

Without you, we would have jumped from that ledge, or kicked out that stool long ago, trying to silence those front-office quotes of alleged pitching and defense that jumbled through our heads.

Without you, we would be questioning our offense.

Without you, we would be wondering where the on-base machine that is J.D. Drew went this season and why he took one of the best outfield arms in the American League with him. We would be wondering why he was striking out more than 40% of the time, and only walking 11%.

Without you, we would be wondering whether it was called designated hitter or designated out. We would be wondering why there was a spot in the lineup that had struck out 17 times in 52 plate appearances. A spot in the lineup that is supposed to be feared but had produced zero homeruns with two RBIs.

Without you, we would be wondering why our backup catcher, a player who lost his swing several years ago, was leading everyone on the team not named Pedroia in home runs with three.

Without you, we would be wondering how manager Terry Francona could have put together eight different offensive lineups that all suck equally.

Without you, we would be questioning our starting pitching.

Without you, we would be wondering what happened to pre-season Cy Young favorite Jon Lester and his 0-2 record. We would be wondering how he had allowed 15 runs in 16 innings.

Without you, we would be wondering how Boston’s “Big Three” starting pitchers had won two games this season in nine appearances.

Without you, we would be questioning our bullpen.

Without you, we would be wondering how Jonathan Papelbon had a K/9 (strikeouts per nine innings) of 3.38 when he has a career mark of more than 10. We would be wondering why journeyman Jon Rauch had twice as many saves as our star closer.

Without you, we would be wondering what Ramon Ramirez and his ERA of 9.00 was doing on the Red Sox roster.

Without you, we would be questioning our defense.

Without you, we would be wondering how this team built around defense could have a fielding percentage of .980, which was good enough for 11^th in the AL

Without you, we would be wondering why Bill Hall is starting in center field.

Without you, we would be wondering how our prized prospect, Ryan Westmoreland, was recovering from surgery to remove a cavernous malformation from his brain stem. We would be wondering how this freak occurrence happened in a year where the top-rated prospect and future center fielder could be getting major league at-bats on a regular basis.

Without you, we would be wondering how catcher Victor Martinez had caught one base runner in 13 stolen base attempts yet had a better percentage than Jason Varitek. We would be wondering how it was physically possible to successfully swipe 21 bases in 22 attempts against one team.

Without you, we would be wondering where the bulk of this $160 million payroll was being torpedoed. We would be wondering how we had gone from perennial playoff contender to the Mets in just one year.

Without you, we would be wondering how this Red Sox team would be able to come back from a 4-9 record and six games back of the Tampa Bay Rays. We would be wondering how the Red Sox would be able to come back from 5.5 games to the New York Yankees.

Without you, we would be wondering how only Baltimore has a worse run differential in the AL.

Without you, Dustin Pedroia, we would be questioning this season. So on behalf of Red Sox Nation, thank you.

No Patience for Papi

noreply@blogger.com (Kelan Donahue) — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 08:08:00 +0000

Less than two weeks into the regular season and the struggling David Ortiz finds himself in the midst of turmoil in Boston.

For the third consecutive year the lumbering lefty has started the season off sluggishly. In 2008, Ortiz was batting .184 with an OPS of .644 in April. Of course, Ortiz rebounded in May, ripping eight homers with 19 RBIs and hitting over .300. Last season’s drought reached Saharian size for Ortiz, with the big fellow leaving the yard only once by the end of May. On top of his slow start, it was leaked that Ortiz had tested positive for a banned substance back in 2003. Again, however, Ortiz came back, hitting 27 homers from June until the season ended.

This year, the slump is back, only it feels different. Ortiz has played in six games and has managed a measly 3-for-22 with no homers and two RBIs with 11 strikeouts.

The David Ortiz bandwagon started the season half empty with many more people hanging off the edge just waiting for a nudge. And Ortiz gave them that nudge with an explicit-laced sound bite after going hitless in the first two games of the season.

The Red Sox no longer have one of the top lineups in the American League, and baseball’s toughest division will not allow time for Ortiz’s swing to come back to form like last year. Ortiz is also in the final year of his contract, which means making a change in the lineup won’t impact next year’s team.

In an interview with WEEI on Tuesday Red Sox manager Terry Francona spoke about Ortiz’s struggles but said he had no plans to change the lineup or platoon Ortiz yet.

Right now, it is too early for Francona to bench the man that helped hoist the first World Series trophy for the Red Sox in 86 years. If his struggles continue, though, something needs to be done. The Red Sox have a much deeper bench than Boston teams of the past. Right-handed veteran Mike Lowell is able to pinch-hit or platoon with Ortiz, while young lefty and former first-round draft pick Jeremy Hermida continues to tear the cover off the ball. Hermida has gone 4-for-10 with two doubles and a homer so far in a limited role. With those two loomingat the end of the bench, the at-bats for Ortiz will dwindle as long as hit bat stays silent.

And I’m not convinced his bat will wake up the way it did the last two years. According to Fangraphs, Ortiz’s contact rate at pitches inside the strikezone is at a career low 62.5%. For his career he makes contact with 86% of those pitches. His bat is not coming through the strikezone the way it used to.

The total percentage of pitches he swings at is also down to a career low 33.7%. This dropped by more than 10% from his career average. He’s either not seeing the ball as well or is being fooled by the pitchers.

Despite all the struggles he had last April, both his strikezone contact rate and swing percentage were up around his career averages which makes me wonder if he’ll be able to put it all together this season.

Granted, this is a very small sample size, and I would love to be proven wrong by Ortiz, but if his struggles continue the Red Sox don’t have the time to wait around for him. Three straight years of troubles at the plate is more of a trend than a coincidence. I never thought I would say this, but that big lovable smile we’ve grown accustomed to in the middle of the Red Sox lineup could be dropped or splitting time by the end of April.

Kelan Donahue

Buchholz will be needed in bullpen

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Allen) — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 23:22:00 +0000

by Chris Allen

Daisuke Matsuzaka made his first rehab start on Sunday and will be getting at least one more before being recalled to the big club. He will certainly be placed into the starting rotation when he arrives as the team is trying to get his arm strength up to ninety or so pitches. While it is unclear whether he will take Tim Wakefield's spot or Clay Buchholz's I am a firm believer that the latter should be moved into the bullpen for the remainder of the season. The Red Sox bullpen has been used early and often so far this young season, mostly with mediocre results. I feel confident in the ability of Bard and Papelbon to get through the Eighth and Ninth even though each has struggled early on. Okajima will probably get himself worked out and be fine but even when he is on he can still be an adventure with a lot of full counts. I have no confidence whatsoever in the rest of the bullpen. Ramon Ramirez, what happened to you? He got off to such a promising start in 2009: hitters batted less than .200 against him in the first half but .270 in the second half with an ERA around 3.50. Unfortunately he has picked up right from where he left off. In three games this year he has 1.1 innings but 5 hits and 5 runs all earned with a home run to boot. Manny Delcarmen has looked better than how he finished last year but has lost a couple of miles velocity. He was hurt last year and perhaps he will regain some of that power but I am skeptical to say the least. Scott Atchison and Scott Schoeneweis are there to eat innings in blowouts, although Shoeneweis has had a pretty good career as a bullpen lefty. Alan Embree is waiting in the wings in Pawtucket but he has an opt-out clause and can leave the team if he is not called up to Boston by Friday. Buchholz could slide into that seventh inning role and be the bridge from the starter to Bard/Papelbon. He has dominating stuff and would stregthen a weak bullpen. If one of the other starters goes down because of injury there is Boof Bonser in Pawtucket who could take the spot leaving Clay in the bullpen. I would prefer this scenario to moving Buchholz back to the rotation because I believe it would take too long to get his arm strength back. Wakefield has gotten hurt the last two seasons but when he is healthy he is a steady pitcher who generally gives the Sox an opportunity to win. Buchholz stills seems nervous and unsure of himself especially when there are runners on base.

Ump Calling the Kettle Black

noreply@blogger.com (Blaze) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 02:00:00 +0000

Before diving into my thoughts on the opening weekend, I'd like to dive into the comments made by Crew Chief Joe West shortly after the season opening game on Sunday. West was quoted saying that the Sox and Yankees pace during Sunday's game was a "disgrace to baseball." Although I agree that four hours is way too long for a game West did not help his own case.

The Sox and Yankees are both teams that like to take pitches and work counts. Joe West had his strike zone so small that the batting practice coach probably would have worked the count full. West's refusal to call any corner strikes for either team had a lot to do with the length of the game on Sunday. Neither pitcher was on their game Sunday night however, neither was the crew of umpires. If the Umpires would call the strike zone as it is meant to be, (knees to letters, and width of plate) maybe when both Aces are on the mound the game might speed up. So Mr. West before you complain too much maybe you should take a look in the mirror.
______________________________________________________

The first three games are in the book and I sit here with mixed thoughts about how those games went. While I am not terribly worried about the pitching for this team, for obvious reasons, I was incredibly disappointed with the first two games. After looking sharp after one inning on Sunday Beckett struggled and couldn't get through the 5th inning. Part of this short outing was the absolutely tiny strike zone provided by Joe West, better days are ahead now that Beckett is locked up for 4 more seasons. At times Lester looked un-hittable during game #2 but lost the strike zone after a few innings, this happened early last season too Lester will be fine. Six strong from Lackey was exciting to watch, if only the offense was there.

The only bad news other than Andy Pettitte, who has done that to the Sox many times before, was David Ortiz and J.D. Drew. Notice both worries are the same worries that are discussed every year. Boston fans don't jump off the bridge just yet the Red Sox faced two very good left handed pitchers in the first three games. Ortiz hit a couple of line drives into the defensive shift so don't count him out just yet. Drew was my most disappointing player during the first series 2 for 12 and he was swinging at some very bad pitches and most of the bad swings that I saw were against Burnett the only right handed starter he faced.

It’s early in the season and the offense looked solid, at least in the first too games. It’s good to be done with the Yankees for a month so the Sox can move on with the normalcy of the season, and the rest of us can just finally just enjoy Americas favorite pass time.

Wakefield still on the up and up

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Allen) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 00:45:00 +0000

by Chris Allen

The Sox opened their season by losing two to the Yanks in what was an intense series. It seems that the rivalry has been reinvigorated with the Yanks being the current world champs. Next up for the Red Sox are the Royals with Tim Wakefield to make his season debut this Friday. He sits eighteen wins away from surpassing former teammates Roger Clemens and Cy Young for all-time Red Sox leader. No, Wakefield did not really play with Cy Young but it seems like he's been with the team for that long. How sweet would it be to have a knuckleballer as all time win leader? The notion really appeals to me especially if it means knocking Clemens down a notch. Whether or not Wakefield is able to win eighteen games in the next two years remains to be seen. He needs to stay healthy and not break down as he has the last couple of seasons for one thing. There is also the possibility that there is no room in the rotation for him with Lester, Beckett and Lackey shoe-ins for the next five years and Matsuzaka and Clay Buchholz above him on the depth chart. Would Wakefield even be getting the start if Matsuzaka were not on the DL? If he ends up in the bullpen it will be difficult to surpass Clemens and Young but he has always been a team player and would most likely do what the Sox think would give them the best chance to win.
Other categories that Wakefield ranks high on the Red Sox all-time list:
Second in Games with 525
First with 388 Games Started
Third with 2711.1 Innings Pitched
Second with 1869 Strikeouts
First in Hits Allowed with 2615
First in Runs Allowed with 1480
First in Earned Runs Allowed with 1309
First in HR Allowed the 357
First in Hits Batsmen with 163 which is 77 more than Clemens in second place.

It will be interesting to watch Tim Wakefield's progress this year as he tries to become the Red Sox all-time win leader. The team winning is the most important thing of course but when Wakefield is pitching the chances for a win are pretty darn good.

Oh, what a night...

noreply@blogger.com (James) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 11:11:00 +0000

April 5, 2010
By James Wheeler

Last night was the night we’ve all be waiting for. It was opening night for the Boston Red Sox and the schedule makers threw us right into full gear. We weren’t given the luxury of easing ourselves into the regular season. Instead we were given the Yankees as our opening opponent. Instead of being able enjoy the return of my favorite sport, I find myself immediately in the middle of life or death baseball. The Bronx Bombers are the one team strips me of logic and reason, reducing me to the basest of emotion. I will tell you right now that I was not ready for the Yankees last night and I know by Thursday morning I will be emotionally drained. I guess I won’t be the only one, why else would the schedule makers give us a day off today and Thursday? Is it rational to let the first three games of the season mean this much to me? Of course it’s not. Would I put this much weight on the first three games of the year if the Yankees weren’t involved? Without hesitation I can answer no.

The game was set to be a tale of two aces, Josh Beckett and CC Sabathia. While it looked like the Yankees won that battle early in the game, with a score of 5-2. By the end of the sixth inning, neither starter was a factor in the game as the Red Sox were able to continue their rally and tied the game 5-5.

Despite a seven pitch first inning, Beckett never looked sharp tonight. The Yankees were able to get to him early by bringing seven batters to the plate in the second inning. Beckett escaped the inning with only two runs scored on back to back home runs by Jorge Posada and Curtis Granderson, however, the inning set the tone for what would turn into an inconsistent night. There were two factors in Beckett’s disappointing 4 2/3 inning performance. The first was his inability to get a feel for his curveball, leaving him with only a fastball and change-up. Giving a lineup like the Yankees only two pitches to look for puts a pitcher at too much of a disadvantage and the Bombers jumped on Beckett. The other factor was the home plate umpiring, which never looked consistent. Beckett never seemed to get the close calls and more than a few of those borderline pitches should have been strikes.

Sabathia looked like he was in mid-season form for the first four innings, as he one hit the Sox and only gave up one run. Our offense was unimpressive, but looking back there was hope. The Red Sox hitters were making contact as Sabathia only struck out four. Fortunately for the Red Sox, the Yankees allowed Sabathia to go too far in the game and the wheels came off for him in the sixth inning.

The sixth inning for the Red Sox started as most big innings due with the leadoff hitter, Pedroia, drawing a walk. Victor Martinez quickly moved Pedroia to third with a double, bringing up Youkilis with two runners in scoring position. Youk tripled to right field, bringing in two runs and setting up the tying run. The Yankees would take the lead one more time after the top of the seventh, but that lead was short lived. The game was tied a second time on a two run shot by Pedroia that flew high over the monster. Youkilis would manufacture what turned out to be the game winning run by scoring on a wild pitch after doubling and advancing to third on a different wild pitch.

While I would have preferred a stronger outing by Josh Beckett, it was probably better in the long run for all of us to see what this lineup can do. A four run deficit seemed too great for the Red Sox to overcome. Then the bats woke up and everyone in the lineup contributed, with only Ellsbury left off the base paths last night. After having today off, the Red Sox and their rivals face off again on Wednesday when Jon Lester takes the mound against A.J. Burnett. Hopefully the Sox will have the same success and the enthusiasm a win over the Yankees brings won’t be short lived.

My Sox Star of the Game was Kevin Youkilis. The Red Sox first baseman went 3 for 4, scored 3 runs and drove in 2 others. In a 9 run game, Youk accounted for half of the Sox offense.